Presidential aspirant of the Peoples Redemption Party (PRP), Yakubu Mohammed Kingsley, has called for a transparent investigation into the reported deaths of 37 suspected artisanal miners in the custody of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) in Minna, Niger State.
Kingsley, in a statement issued in Abuja, expressed condolences to the families of the deceased and urged authorities to establish the circumstances surrounding the incident. He said reports that some detainees were held in an overcrowded cell and allegedly struggled to breathe before their deaths required an urgent and impartial investigation.
He also called for reforms in Nigeria’s artisanal mining sector, arguing that poverty, unemployment and limited access to formal jobs and sustainable livelihoods were pushing some Nigerians into hazardous mining activities. According to him, enforcement alone cannot address the problem without tackling the economic conditions that drive people into illegal mining.
The PRP aspirant said mineral-rich communities should have a defined stake in the exploitation of natural resources through employment, skills acquisition, infrastructure, environmental protection and transparent benefits. He also advocated the formalisation of responsible artisanal and small-scale mining, with miners given access to training, safer working conditions, technology, finance and legitimate markets.
Kingsley expressed particular concern over reports that some of the victims were teenagers, saying children should not be forced to abandon school for dangerous mining activities. He urged the government to link natural-resource management with education, employment, community development and environmental protection.
He further called for a shift from the export of raw minerals to domestic processing and manufacturing to create jobs and retain more value within Nigeria. Kingsley urged authorities to ensure that the Minna victims do not become “another statistic” and called for measures to protect citizens and uphold human dignity while enforcing the law.
